World Trade Center (film)
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| World Trade Center | |
|---|---|
| Image:Worldtrade.jpg "World Trade Center" Promotional Poster | |
| Directed by | Oliver Stone |
| Produced by | Moritz Borman Debra Hill Michael Shamberg Stacey Sher |
| Written by | Andrea Berloff |
| Starring | Nicolas Cage Michael Peña Maggie Gyllenhaal Maria Bello Stephen Dorff Jay Hernandez Michael Shannon |
| Music by | Craig Armstrong |
| Cinematography | Seamus McGarvey |
| Editing by | David Brenner Julie Monroe |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (USA) United International Pictures (Non-USA) |
| Release date(s) | August 9, 2006 (in USA) September 29, 2006 (in UK) |
| Running time | 129 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $65,000,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
World Trade Center (also spelled as World Trade Centre) is a 2006 dramatic film based on the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers of New York City, released by Paramount Pictures on August 9. It was directed by Academy Award winner Oliver Stone and stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Stephen Dorff, Jay Hernandez, and Michael Shannon. The MPAA rated it "PG-13" for "intense and emotional content, some disturbing images and language." <ref>MPAA Film Ratings</ref> It is billed as an uplifting story about everyday New Yorkers helping one another amid a cataclysmic tragedy. It is the second theatrical movie about 9/11 in 2006, following United 93. The film received generally favorable critical reception. Many of the re-created scenes at the Twin Towers were filmed at Playa Vista, California.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The true story of Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, who, while patrolling in Lower Manhattan, New York City on September 11, 2001, hear a loud thump.
Back in their police station, an effect similar to an earthquake knocks everything about. As all of the police officers return to the station, they see the TV, and find that one of the massive twin towers of the World Trade Center has been hit by a hijacked plane. Sergeant John McLoughlin assigns many of the officers to assist in an evacuation attempt of the (still undamaged) South Tower, and they proceed to the Port Authority Bus Station.
When they arrive at the site of the World Trade Center, they see many disturbing things, including one of the first victims jumping out of the tower to their death to escape the flames. As Will Jimeno drops off their police equipment in 5 World Trade Center, they proceed to get safety equipment and, joined by Jeno, walk into the lobby of the World Trade Center.
An officer runs along to tell them of the other events of the attacks, such as the Pentagon being hit by what they believed to be a missile, and the South Tower being hit by another plane. As the group prepare to enter the North Tower, the buildings begin to rumble. Looking around, John McLoughlin realises that the South Tower is collapsing onto them, and their only chance of survival is to run into the service elevator shaft. Three of the group manage to escape the huge amounts of dust and rubble flying down from the South Tower, John McLoughlin, Will Jimeno and Dominick Pezzulo. But as the rubble continues to crush the elevator shaft, the three are knocked out.
Their wives and family are told that the group were under the South Tower when it collapsed, and that they are probably dead. But the families stay strong.
As the group wake up, Pezzulo realises he can free himself, and manages to go nearer to Jimeno in the rubble, who, along with McLoughlin, have survived the collapse of the South Tower. As Dominick gets optimistic that they will live, the rumbling starts up again, as the North Tower is now collapsing as well. Although Jimeno and McLoughlin are unharmed, Pezzulo is fatally wounded and, after firing his gun up through a gap in the rubble to alert rescuers to their position, dies.
Luckily, two United States Marines who are searching for survivors of the tower collapse find Jimeno and McLoughlin and call for help to dig them out.
Their families are called and told that their husbands have walked out of the rubble in perfect health, but this is wrong, in fact, they are both in danger of dying. When they arrive, they are told that their husbands are in hospital and they rush to meet them.
McLoughlin's family manages to find him just before he is pulled into the operating room to be put in a medically induced coma.
Years later, as they attend a celebration to receive an award for courage, their families are happy again that the two officers, McLoughlin and Jimeno, survived the biggest terrorist attack on US soil in the history of the world.
[edit] Taglines
- "On the day that changed America, Two men held on to hope" -from tv spot
- "An extraordinary true story about an event that united us and changed us forever." -tv spot
- "Every generation has a defining moment… This was ours."
- "A True Story Of Courage And Survival."
- "The World Saw Evil That Day. Two Men Saw Something Else."
[edit] Critics Response
- The film garnered much critical acclaim, with a 70% fresh reading at the website rottentomatoes.com.
Positive Reviews:
- Richard Roeper: "One Of The Best Films Of The Year."
- Time: "A powerful movie experience, a hymn in plainsong that glorifies that which is best in the American spirit."
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: "A humanist movie of enormous empathy."
- The Arizona Republic: "Stone has made the most important film of his long career."
- New York Daily News: "One of Stone's most powerful movies."
- New York Post: "An expertly crafted, respectful piece of inspirational film-making."
- Detroit Free Press: "'World Trade Center' is beautifully acted down to the smallest role."
- Entertainment Weekly: "A tribute to those who died. It's a scrupulous and honorable film"
- Good Morning America: "A true story of courage and survival that you would never expect."
- AisleSeat.com: "They ought to give Maggie Gyllenhaal the Oscar right now! She's that good."
Mixed Reviews:
- San Francisco Chronicle: "Stone does justice to the real-life people, but the story is limited in scope and impact."
- Variety: "Lovely and touching moments but proves a slow-going, arduous movie experence."
- Chicago Tribune: "A comfortably unsettling drama."
- The Wall Street Journal: "A mediocre disaster movie."
[edit] Awards
- Best Picture- Online Film Fans Awards
- Best Director, Oliver Stone- Online Film Fans Awards
[edit] DVD Release
The R1 DVD will be released on Tuesday, December 12 while the R2 version will be released on Monday 29 January 2007 in a 2-Disc set. The release will contain the following bonus features:
DISC ONE
- Commentary by Oliver Stone
- Commentary by Will Jimeno and rescuers Scott Strauss, John Busching and Paddy McGee
- Nine deleted/extended scenes with optional audio commentary
DISC TWO
- A three-part making-of documentary
- A two-part "Common Sacrifices" featurette
- Q&A with Oliver Stone
- Theatrical Trailer
- 5 TV Spots
- Photo Gallery
[edit] Controversy
Jeanette Pezzulo, the widow of Port Authority police officer Dominick Pezzulo (who died on 9/11 and is played by Jay Hernandez in this film), has expressed anger with this film and feels it's wrong McLoughlin and Jimeno participated in the production. She's quoted as saying, "My thing is: this man died for you. How do you do this to this family?".<ref name="filmtoofar">Guardian Media Group (July 9, 2006). A film too far for Stone?. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2006-07-19.</ref> Staten Island resident Jamie Amoroso, whose husband also died during the rescue operation, has also expressed her anger over the film and said she does "not need a movie" to tell her "what a hero" her husband was.<ref name="filmtoofar" /> Baltimore detective Ken Nacke, whose brother Louis died on Flight 93, said he would not be going to see the film. He criticised its producers for not involving enough of the survivors' families in its production, something he said did not happen with United 93 director Paul Greengrass, who collected the blessings of all the victims' families before shooting his controversial movie (although it has been reported that the widow of United 93 victim Christian Adams refused to cooperate in the making of that film. See United 93 Controversy). He added: "I met a couple of people who lost relatives and had approached the producers and weren't allowed to be involved, and I think it would be disrespectful to them if I went to see it."<ref name="filmtoofar" />The Port Authority police officers who are played by Cage and Peña, John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, and their wives, played by Bello and Gyllenhaal, were involved with the production and continue to support the film. McLoughlin's wife Donna has said: "We got involved because we felt it needed to be done accurately. We wanted to do the right thing and I think the filmmakers wanted to do the right thing too."<ref name="filmtoofar" />
There were initial concerns this film would examine 9/11 conspiracy theories because director Oliver Stone is known for examining similar theories in his films (JFK in particular), and some 9/11 conspiracy websites are promoting the idea that the film does contain hints of the conspiracy.<ref>Advance Review of Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" by a 9/11 Truth Activist. SF Bay Area Independent Media Center (2006-07-26). Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> Stone and the producers, however, have said the film is a simple dedication to the heroism and sadness of the day with little-to-no political themes.<ref name="filmtoofar" /><ref>Oliver Stone shoots Sept. 11 movie in New York. USA Today (November 2, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-07-22.</ref><ref>Halbfinger, David M. (July 2, 2006). Oliver Stone's 'World Trade Center' Seeks Truth in the Rubble. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.</ref>
The Los Angeles Times reported that 9/11 conspiracy theorists were boycotting the movie and were disappointed Stone didn't make a JFK style conspiracy film.<ref name = LATimes>Daunt, Tina. "An Indictment of Mr. Conspiracy", Los Angeles Times, 2006-08-06.</ref> "Was Stone used by the Illuminati as an unknowing pawn to whitewash the 9/11 conspiracy theories to the masses?" wondered author John Conner.<ref>Halter, Ed. "Fakes on a Plane", The Village Voice, 2006-08-07. Retrieved on 2006-08-10.</ref> Syndicated radio hosts Jack Blood and Alex Jones also expressed similar views that many in the 9/11 Truth Movement were expecting Stone to give them a voice and felt let down.<ref name = LATimes />
Also, some criticism has been made about the movie that, while not having a political agenda of its own, reinforces moderately widespread unsupported beliefs of involvement by the Iraqi government or terrorists in the September 11 attacks, due to the omission of facts about the hijackers' nationalities, in conjunction with post-script referencing the war in Iraq.<ref>Rosen, Ruth (August 18, 2006). Oliver Stone, 9/11, and the Big Lie. ZMag.org. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.</ref>
[edit] Factual inaccuracies
- Commentators have pointed out a number of factual inaccuracies in the movie, particularly concerning the rescue effort. The film has been accused of not providing a fair portrayal of the character and motives of rescuer Dave Karnes, a pivotal character in the film who did not cooperate in the making of the movie. The film also inaccurately portrayed Jason Thomas, who joined Karnes in the rescue, as white when he was really black. The film's producers realized the mistake only after production began, and apologized to Thomas, whose identity had not been widely known for years after Sept. 11.<ref>Caruso, David B. (August 14, 2006). Mystery 9/11 rescuer reveals himself. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.</ref>
- Critics of the film say it inaccurately identified the rescuers who worked to free Jimeno and McLouglin, failed to accurately convey the time required to dig the men out, and that it understated the dangers posed to the rescuers. Among other things, the film failed to properly acknowledge the role of paramedic Chuck Sereika. Contrary to as depicted in the film, Sereika began treating and extricating Jimeno a full 20 minutes before officers from the New York City Police Department's Emergency Services Unit arrived. <ref name = Slate>"Oliver Stone's World Trade Center Fiction", Slate, 2006-08-09.</ref>
- There is a brief scene set in Hong Kong, where locals are stunned by what they saw in the TV of Times Square. The background clearly shows that it is daytime. However, when the 911 events occur, it should be at night-time in Hong Kong.
- In a scene of the beginning of the film as New York "wakes up," there is an image of the Woolworth Building. The World Trade Center should be prominently visible, but it is not.
- When American Airlines Flight 11 is shown flying over Times Square, the direction of the shadow suggests that it is flying north over Manhattan, and not south towards the Financial District.
- Before of the Collapse of the Tower, Jimeno and McLouglin are shown walking across the main concourse shops with the rest of the firefighters, the mall shows "Ben and Jerry's" Ice cream being a "store" when in reality it was a kiosk
[edit] Mentioned facts
- 2,749 people perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers alone.
- 343 of the victims were firefighters.
- Only 20 people were pulled out alive. McLoughlin and Jimeno were numbers 18 and 19.
[edit] Trivia
- This is the first film from Oliver Stone to not receive an R rating since "Seizure" in 1974.
- Moviegoers gave the picture an "A-" overall in CinemaScore.
- Won the 'Best Picture' and 'Best Director' Award at the Online Film Fans Awards held on Monday, October 23, 2006.
- It was thought that news of England's thwarted Islamic terrorist threat on the Thursday before the movie opened would have an effect on its opening weekend box-office numbers. However, it had no noticeable effect on business, given how the movie isn't really about terrorism but banding together and went on to open to $18,700,000.
- The real-life John McLoughlin and William Jimeno appear in the end of the movie at the barbeque.
[edit] Box office
- On opening weekend it gained approximately $18,730,762 in the U.S. and Canada.
- As of Wednesday, October 25, the movie has made $70,278,893 at the North American Box-Office.
- World-wide the film has taken in over $141,000,000
[edit] Interviews
[edit] See also
- September 11, 2001 attacks
- Competing films with similar plots
- Homeland Security
- Will Jimeno
- Dave Karnes
- John McLoughlin
- Dominick Pezzulo
- Jason Thomas
- United 93
[edit] References
- World Trade Center official site
- World Trade Center at the Internet Movie Database
- Article in Court TV Crime Library
- Craig Armstrong - Movie Score Composer
- 'World Trade Center' Movie Leaves Real Heroes Awestruck
- September 11th Remembered
- Images From The Movie
- Tribute to Will Jimeno
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- World Trade Center at the Internet Movie Database
- World Trade Center at Rotten Tomatoes
- World Trade Center at Metacritic
- World Trade Center at Box Office Mojo
| Films by Oliver Stone |
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Feature Films |
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